[FF7PC-98] Beacause - FF7 Retranslation (Merged into Reunion, use that instead)

[LeonhartGR]

Leonhart,
Check out the character png's installed with Avalanche.  They're located in the textures folder.
Compare these old versions to the character textures created by DLPB.
He has truly put a tremendous amount of effort into making every pixel perfect.

I'll pm you this is totally off-topic

[DLPB_]

Another comparison, this time mostly done but work in progress.  Note that palmer has his own unique noises.

Old:

Code: [Select]

Shinra Bldg. 70f.
------------------------------
President Shinra
“How are the preparations going?”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Gya, haa, haa! Smoothly, very smoothly!
I assigned the Turks to this.”
------------------------------
Reeve
“President!!
Are we really going to do this?
Simply destroy a group
with only a few members…”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“What's the problem, Reeve? You want out?”
------------------------------
Reeve
“…No.”{NEW}
“But, as head of the Urban Development
Department,
I have been involved in the building
and running of Midgar. That's why…”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Reeve, flush your personal problems
with the rest of your crap!”
------------------------------
Reeve
“The Mayor's against this anyway…”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Mayor?”{NEW}
“He just sits in this building all day
feeding his face!
You still call that a Mayor?”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Now if you'll excuse me sir!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“You're tired.
Why don't you take a couple of days
off and go somewhere.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“We'll destroy Sector 7
and report that AVALANCHE did it.
Then we'll send in the rescue
operation care of Shinra, Inc….
Heh, heh, heh…this is perfect.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“They got you, too?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Where is {AERIS}!?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“In a safe place.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“She's the last
surviving Ancient…”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Don't you know?
They called themselves the Cetra and lived
thousands of years ago.
Now they are just a forgotten page in history.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“Cetra…that girl
is a survivor of the Cetra?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us
the way to the 'Promised Land'.
I'm expecting a lot out of her.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“The Promised Land?
Isn't that just a legend?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Even so, it's far too appealing
not to pursue.”{NEW}
“It's been said the Promised Land is
very fertile.”{NEW}
“…If the land is fertile…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“then there's gotta be Mako!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Exactly.
That is why our money-making
Mako Reactor is necessary.”{NEW}
“The abundant Mako will
flow out on its own.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“That is where Neo-Midgar will be built.
Shinra's new glory…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“@$\#*^%!
Quit dreamin'!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Oh really, don't you know?
These days all it takes for your
dreams to come true is money and power.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Well, that is all for our meeting.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hold it!
I got a lot to say to you!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“If there's anything else…
talk to my secretary.”
------------------------------
Rude
“Come on! Outta his way!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“He's dead…
The head of Shinra is dead…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Then this sword must be…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Sephiroth's!!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Sephiroth is alive?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…Looks like it.
Only Sephiroth can use that sword.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Who cares who did it!?
This is the end of the Shinra!”
------------------------------
“Uh!”
------------------------------
Palmer
“P, p, p, please, don't kill me!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“What happened?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Se…Sephiroth.
Sephiroth came.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Yeah, I saw him! With my own eyes!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“You really saw him?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Uh!
Would I lie at a time like this!?
I heard his voice, too!”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Um, he said something about
not letting us have the Promised Land.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Then does that mean”{NEW}
“the Promised Land really does
exist and that Sephiroth's
here to save it from Shinra?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So he's a good guy then?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Save the Promised Land?
A good guy? No way!!”{NEW}
“It's not that simple! I know him!
Sephiroth's mission is different!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Rufus!
&*%$! I forgot about him!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Who's that?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Vice President Rufus.
The President's son.”
------------------------------

New:

Code: [Select]

Shin-Ra Bldg. 70F
------------------------------
President Shinra
“How are the preparations going?”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Gya,ha,ha!!
Smoothly,very smoothly!
I've assigned the Turks to this.”
------------------------------
Reeve
“Mr.President!!
Are we really going to do this?
Simply to crush a group with
only a few members at best…”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Why this objection now?
Do you have something you
want to share with us,Reeve?”
------------------------------
Reeve
“…No.”{NEW}
“But,as head of Urban Development,
I've been involved in the
building and running of Midgar.
That's why I…”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Reeve,flush personal problems down
the toilet before you set off for work!”
------------------------------
Reeve
“The Mayor's also against this…”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Mayor!?”{NEW}
“That buffoon just sits in the
  building all day,feeding his face!
You call that a Mayor?”
------------------------------
Heidegger
“Now,if you'll excuse me!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“You're tired.
Take some time off away from here.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“We'll destroy District 7.
The reports will blame Avalanche
and the relief operation will be
handled by the Shin-Ra Company.
Heh,heh,heh… it's perfect.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“They got you,too…?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Where's {AERIS}!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“In a safe place.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“She's invaluable to us.
The last surviving Ancient…”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“You don't know?
They called themselves the Cetra,
and lived thousands of years ago.
A tribe,long buried in history.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“Cetra… that girl is a
survivor of the Cetra?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Cetra,or the Ancients,will teach
us about the Promised Land.
I'm expecting great things from her.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“The Promised Land?
That's just a legend?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“But an enthralling legend.
So enticing that it must be persued.”{NEW}
“The Promised Land is
said to be incredibly fertile.”{NEW}
“…And if the land is fertile…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Then there's gotta be Mako!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Exactly.
We won't even need any cash-
craving Mako Reactors there.”{NEW}
“The abundant Mako
will flow out on its own.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“That is where Neo-Midgar will be built.
Our company's new glory…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hah!
Quit dreamin'!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Come now,surely you've realised?
These days,all that one requires to make
a dream come true is money and power.”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“Well,that concludes your audience.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hold it right there!
I've a truck load of things I gotta
say to you,you greedy bastard!”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“If there's anything else…
        talk to my secretary.”
------------------------------
Rude
“Come on! Outta his way!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Dead…
The leader of Shin-Ra is dead…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“What's this sword!?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“That's Sephiroth's!!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…You mean Sephiroth is alive?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…Looks like it.
Only Sephiroth could wield that.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Who cares who did it!?
Shin-Ra's finished!”
------------------------------
“U-hyo!”
------------------------------
Palmer
“D-d-d-d-don't kill me!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“What happened?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Se-Sephiroth.
Sephiroth was here.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“You saw him?
You saw Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Yeah,I saw him!
With my own eyes!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Really?”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Uh-hyo!
Would I lie at a time like this!?
I heard his voice too,uh-hyo!”
------------------------------
Palmer
“Er,he mumbled something about
not handing over the Promised Land.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“What does that mean?”{NEW}
“Does the Promised Land actually
exist and Sephiroth came
here to save it from Shin-Ra?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So,he's a good guy then?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Save the Promised Land?
A good guy? No way!!”{NEW}
“It's not that simple!
Believe me!
Sephiroth must have some other goal!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Rufus! sh*t!
Forgot about him!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Who's that?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Vice President Rufus.
The President's son.”
------------------------------
There are 2 big errors in the original translation.  Firstly, it makes it look as though Tifa knew it was Sep's sword when she did not make the connection, and secondly Pres Shinra states that a reactor is needed at the promised land which is completely wrong.

[DLPB_]

As of today 37% of the game is completed and the whole of Midgar dialogue is completed.  Well done Luksy. 

Some other areas size roughly which need doing: 

Cosmo Canyon 47KB
Costa Del Sol 36 KB
Kalm 22 KB
Remaining highwind: 35 KB
Gold Saucer 45 KB
Fort Condor 30KB
Corel 20 KB
Niblheim 46KB
Midhir 40KB
Temple of the Ancients 36KB
Junon 53 KB
Wutai 40KB


Note, Hojo's 4 monsters have been renamed to reflect dialogue.  Instead of "Sample" they are now "Specimen".  Sample is too literal for the dialogue and the dialogue takes presidence.

[Dark_Ansem]

thank you I wait for this very eagerly in order to start a new game!

[dkma841]

Will we be able to expect this compatiable with the hardcore mod in the future?

[DLPB_]

See hardcore thread.

[DLPB_]

1 last comparison for now.  In this scene, Tifa accuses Barrett of looking up her skirt while on the staircase of Shin-Ra Building.  The animation is a give away, sadly the original translation ruined the scene.  We have localised it so that it is more obvious and also more accurate to the actual feel of the scene.

Orig

Code: [Select]

Shinra Bldg. Stairs
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Don't know…
why…the hell…
we gotta…climb…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…because we don't want to starta
a commotion until we've saved
{AERIS}.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“If that's possible…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…heh heh heh.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Knock it off. You're giving me the creeps.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So even you will fight for someone else.
Guess I figured you wrong.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Who cares what you figured!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I'm just sayin'
mebbe I was wrong…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“heh heh heh……”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“What's that supposed
to mean, {TIFA}?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…how much farther do these
stairs go on?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Why don't you ask them?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“It's not one of them endless
stairways or somethin', is it?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Of course not!!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Right…couldn't be that…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Are we there yet?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Not yet.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…there yet?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“I said not yet!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Look, don't even ask!
We're way way way way far
away from being there, OK!?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo…
What floor is this?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…I stopped counting.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Why they gotta build these buildings
so damn tall?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“That Shinra…
They're just no damn good.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…huff…
Man, I'm beat…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Marlene, daddy wanted to
see your face one more time…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Would you stop acting like a
retard and climb!?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“It's just a bit more!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…maybe.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Damn, man!
I've had it! I'm going back!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“It'll take just as long to go down as
it did to come up.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“C'mon, {BARRET}.
Pull it together!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yeah well, all I know is I'm only
flesh 'n' blood…
'cept for this arm of mine.”{NEW}
“Don't treat me like I'm some
ex-SOLDIER or somethin'…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“What about me!? I'm human too!
Oh, do what you want, I'm going on!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Yaah!
{BARRET}!
You go first!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“What're ya ignorant?
  …I didn't mean that”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“All right, all right!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“{CLOUD},
you go on ahead too!!”
------------------------------
Received "Elixir"!
------------------------------
Received "Behemoth Horn"!
------------------------------
New:

Code: [Select]

Shin-Ra Bldg. Staircase
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Don't know…
why…the hell…
we gotta… kill ourselves…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…because I don't want any
trouble until we've saved {AERIS}.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Although,I can see that being a problem…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…heh,heh,heh.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“What is it?
You're giving me the creeps.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So,there are times when
even you fight for other people.
Guess I got you wrong.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'm not interested in
what you think about me.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I'm just sayin'…
Sorry for… before,ya know?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Hehehe…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Now you're at it,{TIFA}…?
What gives?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…how much farther do
these stairs go on for?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Who knows…
why don't you ask them?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“It can't keep going on
like this forever,can it?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Of course it can't!!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yeah…
Okay,that was a bit silly…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Are we there yet?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Doesn't look like it.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…there yet?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Not yet!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“I said not yet!
Not yet,not yet,not yet,
not yet,not yet,not yet!!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hey…
What floor we on?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…I stopped counting ages ago.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“W-why did they build
this place s-so damn tall?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“That Sh-Shin-Ra…
They're just no damn good…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“……”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Ohhhh…
Man,I'm beat…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I'm sorry,Marin.
I know you were hopin'
to see Daddy again someday…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Hey!
Stop tempting fate!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Just a little more!
Only a little more!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Maybe.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“That's it!
I've had enough! I'm going back!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“You're going to go back down
all those stairs we just climbed?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“……”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“C'mon,{BARRET}.
Sort yourself out!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Don't matter what you s-say,
I'm still only flesh 'n' blood…
'Cept for this r-right arm of mine…”{NEW}
“Not like I have any
s-special ex-Soldier powers…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“I'm human too,you know!
I'm going on ahead of you!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Yaaah!!
{BARRET},stop looking!
I don't wanna go first now!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Y-you crazy!?
  …I didn't look ANYWHERE!…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“If you say so!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“And you can get in front too,{CLOUD}!!”
------------------------------
Obtained "Elixir"!
------------------------------
Obtained "Behemoth Horn"!
------------------------------




[DLPB_]

Today I have taken a liberty with the story.  Don't like doing it at all but I see no way to get around this.  The original trans team did the same.

[03:08] <DLPB> turns out president shinra is called "President"  it is not a title
[03:09] <Covarr> lol
[03:09] <DLPB> he is called President. hahaha.  Rufus refers to himself as "head of shin-ra company" he is never referred to as a president....   The japanese seem to have made a pun on president, making  shinra called president
[03:10] <DLPB> but f*ck that
[03:10] <DLPB> no western audience would get it

kinda getting to grips with this map now. 

Old

Code: [Select]

Shinra Bldg. 70f.
------------------------------
Rufus
“So…
So Sephiroth was actually here.
…By the way,”
------------------------------
Rufus
“just who are you?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'm {CLOUD},
ex-SOLDIER, First Class!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I'm from AVALANCHE!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Me too!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“A flower girl from the slums.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“A Research Specimen.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“What a crew.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Well, I'm Rufus.
The President of Shinra, Inc.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“You're only President 'cause yer old man died!”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Correct. I'll let you hear my
inauguration speech.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“…Father tried to control the world
with money,
and that worked for him.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“The people believed that Shinra
would protect them.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Work at Shinra, get your pay.
If terrorists attack,
the Shinra army will help you.”{NEW}
“It looked perfect on the outside.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“But, I do things differently.”{NEW}
“I'll control the world with fear.
It's too much to do it like my old man.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“A little fear will control
the minds of the common people.
There's no reason to waste
good money on them.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“He likes to make speeches
just like his father.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Get {AERIS} outta
the building!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“What?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'll explain later!
{BARRET}!  This is the real crisis
for the Planet!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“The hell's that supposed to mean?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'll explain later!
Just take my word for now!
I'll go after I take care of him!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Alright, {CLOUD}!”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Why do you want to fight me?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“You want the Promised Land
and Sephiroth.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“That's right.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Did you know
that Sephiroth is an Ancient?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…Whatever,
I can't let either you or Sephiroth
have the Promised Land!”
------------------------------
Rufus
“I see.
I guess we won't be allies.”
------------------------------
Access Menu with {PURPLE}[MENU]{WHITE}
Remove Materia from members with {PURPLE}[SWITCH]{WHITE}
End with {PURPLE}[START]{WHITE}.
------------------------------

New

Code: [Select]

Shin-Ra Bldg. 70F
------------------------------
Rufus
“So…
So Sephiroth is alive after all.
By the way……”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Hey,just who are you?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“{CLOUD}.
Ex-Soldier,First Class.
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I'm from Avalanche!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Same here!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“…A flower seller from the slums.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“…A research specimen.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“What a crew.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Well,I'm Rufus.
President of the Shin-Ra Company.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“The old fool's still warm…”{NEW}
“Not wastin' any time,are ya!?”
------------------------------
Rufus
“True. I suppose I'll let you
hear my inauguration speech.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“…Father tried to control the
world using the power of money,
and that worked for him.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Shin-Ra made the people feel safe.
They thought they were being protected.”
------------------------------
#h 4
Rufus
“Work at Shin-Ra,get your pay.
Any trouble… any terrorists, and
the Shin-Ra army is there for you.
At first glace,it's a perfect setup.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“But,I do things differently.”{NEW}
“I'll control the world with fear.
My father's way costs
far too much money.”
------------------------------
#h 5
Rufus
“You can control the hearts
of men with a little fear.
Why waste good money
on the mindless masses?
Be under no illusions…
I am not my father.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Well,you sure like making
speeches the same way he did.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Take {AERIS} and
get outta the building!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“What?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'll explain later!
{BARRET}!
This is a real crisis for the planet!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hell's that supposed to mean?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I'll talk about it later!
Just trust me on this!
I'll catch up with you
after I take care of him!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“All right,{CLOUD}!”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Why do you want to fight me?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“You seek Sephiroth
and the Promised Land.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“That's right.”
------------------------------
Rufus
“Hm? Did you know that
Sephiroth is an Ancient?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…Makes sense.
Anyway,I can't let either you OR
Sephiroth have the Promised Land!”
------------------------------
Rufus
“I see.
I guess we won't be friends.”
------------------------------
To access the menu press {PURPLE}[MENU]{WHITE}
To remove Materia from members press {PURPLE}[SWITCH]{WHITE}
When you are ready press {PURPLE}[START]{WHITE}.
------------------------------
PSX was even worse, there the line was "I'll let you hear my new appointment speech"

[DLPB_]

R003 released. 

[knightsoftheround]

[03:08] <DLPB> turns out president shinra is called "President"  it is not a title
[03:09] <Covarr> lol
[03:09] <DLPB> he is called President. hahaha.  Rufus refers to himself as "head of shin-ra company" he is never referred to as a president....   The japanese seem to have made a pun on president, making  shinra called president
[03:10] <DLPB> but f*ck that
[03:10] <DLPB> no western audience would get it

Are you going to try and preserve that there was a joke there at all? I'm not sure how you'd go about doing that, but that's absolute hilarity I'd be sad to lose completely. XD

[DLPB_]

There's just no way to preserve it... A western audience cannot hope to either take it seriously or even understand it.  I would also then have to change the title to "Head of the Shin-Ra company" instead of President (which is more accurate to the Japanese but kinda sounds like a poor localisation).  You couldn't have "The president, President Shinra",  It is hilarious though!   

[DLPB_]

Tranquilizer is spelled Tranquilliser in British (not Tranquiliser).  2 l's.  Also, "has been devised" dialogue for gaining limit break is outside the box.  Thanks Kranmer.

[PitBrat]

As for the "President, President" joke, one could retain the joke with something akin to "Supreme Leader, President."  But it comes at the expense of an accurate translation. 

[knightsoftheround]

@PitBrat: Yeah, its an unfortunate loss, but I'd much rather accuracy than one silly little joke. XD

[DLPB_]

Aye...  it is sad we can't get the pun in there.  When I started this project I was rather naive about the Japanese language and thought everything would work in some way, but that simply isn't it at all.  Some things have to be sacrificed.  The problem I have with the original and with FF6 (Woolsey) is that they take too many liberties and make too many mistakes.

Enhancing the material whilst sticking to accuracy as much as is possible is preferable to doing what the hell you want.

[Thad]

Checking in; bit late to the party and could be that I'm once again correcting things you've already caught.  But just in case:

{RED XIII}
“The Promised Land?
   That's just a legend?”
------------------------------
President Shinra
“But an enthralling legend.
   So enticing that it must be persued.”{NEW}

"That's just a legend" isn't a question; I'd say put either a period or an exclamation point there, or even an ellipsis depending on how you read Red's mood there.

And "pursued", not "persued".

[DLPB_]

No, a question mark after a sentence like that is fine, it means the person is saying it expecting a response (in person you'd have facial expressions and what not).  It is perfectly OK in script.  Without the question mark it would be said as if it was a fact.  Red is unsure if it is or isn't.  "Isn't that just a legend"  is the same thing, but people do not always talk perfectly.

Spelling mistake corrected, cheers

[knightsoftheround]

Aye...  it is sad we can't get the pun in there.  When I started this project I was rather naive about the Japanese language and thought everything would work in some way, but that simply isn't it at all.  Some things have to be sacrificed.  The problem I have with the original and with FF6 (Woolsey) is that they take too many liberties and make too many mistakes.

Enhancing the material whilst sticking to accuracy as much as is possible is preferable to doing what the hell you want.

Oh my gosh, right? One of the first things I learned when I began teaching myself the language (I know enough to watch some raw anime at this point) is foreign languages aren't just word swaps and things get lost even in the best cases. If a few puns are the greatest things lost in this retranslation, you are all pretty much gods. I finally get what you meant by this not being a direct translation of the Japanese - meaning is more important than what's actually there, and that's what all translations should be imo.

[DLPB_]

I think the new is quirkier. 

Old

Code: [Select]

Rude
“…Reno said he wanted to
see you after the injuries
you gave him healed.”{NEW}
“He wants to show
his affection for you all…
with a new weapon.”
New

Code: [Select]

Rude
“…Leno sends his kind regards.
He's hoping to meet you
as soon as the injuries
you gave him heal up.”{NEW}
“Now you are best friends,
he wants to share his
new weapon with you all.”

Old

Code: [Select]

Mythril Mine
------------------------------
Rude
“Just a second!”
------------------------------
Rude
“…”
------------------------------
Rude
“Do you know who I am?”
{CHOICE}The Turks, right?
{CHOICE}Not interested
------------------------------
Rude
“…I'm from the Turks.
And don't you forget it.”
------------------------------
Rude
“Well if you know,
then this won't take long.”
------------------------------
Rude
“It's difficult to explain
what the Turks do…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Kidnapping, right?”
------------------------------
Rude
“To put it negatively…
you could say that.”
------------------------------
Rude
“…But, that's not all
there is to it anymore.”
------------------------------
Elena
“It's all right, Rude!
I know you don't like speeches,
so don't force it!”
------------------------------
Rude
“Then explain, Elena.”
------------------------------
Elena
“I'm the newest member of
the Turks, Elena.
Thanks to what you did to Reno,
we're short-handed.”
------------------------------
Elena
“…But, because of that,
I got promoted to the Turks…”
------------------------------
Elena
“Anyhow, our job is to find out
where Sephiroth is headed.”{NEW}
“And to try and stop you
every step of the way.”
------------------------------
Elena
“Wait a minute,
it's the other way around…
You're the ones that are
getting in our way.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“…Elena.
You talk too much.”
------------------------------
Elena
“Sorry…Tseng.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“I thought I gave your orders.”{NEW}
“Now go.
Don't forget to file your report.”
------------------------------
Rude
“…Reno said he wanted to
see you after the injuries
you gave him healed.”{NEW}
“He wants to show
his affection for you all…
with a new weapon.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“Well, then…”
------------------------------
Tseng
“Where's {AERIS}?
Isn't she with you?”
------------------------------
Tseng
“Oh…
Then give her my regards.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“{AERIS}…
Long time no see.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“Looks like you're safe
from the Shinra for a while,
now that Sephiroth reappeared.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“What are you saying?
That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
Tseng
“No…”{NEW}
“I won't be seeing much of you,
so take care.”
------------------------------
Tseng
“Well then,
stay out of Shinra's way.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“{AERIS} isn't with us.
She's with the others.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Wh, who are you!?”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“By any chance, are you…?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Who are you?”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“…
I hoped I'd never see you again…”
------------------------------

{CHOICE}“Sir!”{CHOICE}

------------------------------
Elena
“Mr. Tseng!?”
------------------------------
Tseng
“No need to tell them
about our orders.”
------------------------------
Rude/Elena
“Yes sir!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“…Strange, hearing
that from you.”
------------------------------
Elena
“Oh! Right!”
------------------------------
Tseng
“…Elena.
You don't seem to understand.”
------------------------------
Elena
“Oh!{PAUSE 30}
I'm, I'm sorry…”
------------------------------
Tseng
“…Go.
Don't let Sephiroth get away.”
------------------------------
Elena
“Very well, Rude and I will
go after Sephiroth, who's heading
for {CYAN}Junon Harbor{WHITE}!”
------------------------------

New

Code: [Select]

Mithril Mine
------------------------------
Rude
“Just a second!”
------------------------------
Rude
“…”
------------------------------
Rude
“Do you know who I am?”
{CHOICE}The Turks,right?
{CHOICE}I'm not interested
------------------------------
Rude
“…I'm from the Turks.
And don't you forget it.”
------------------------------
Rude
“Well if you already know,
then this won't take long…”
------------------------------
Rude
“It's difficult to explain
what the Turks do…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Abducting people?”
------------------------------
Rude
“To put it negatively…
you could say that.”
------------------------------
Rude
“…But there's more to it these days.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Rude!
I know you don't like speeches,
so don't force it!”
------------------------------
Rude
“…I'll leave this to you then,Yrena.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“I'm the newest member of
the Turks,Yrena.
Thanks to what you did to Leno,
we're short-handed.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“…Although,because of that,
I was accepted into the Turks…”
------------------------------
Yrena
“At any rate,
our orders are to determine
where Sephiroth is headed.”{NEW}
“And to make your life difficult
every step of the way.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Hang on,
it's the other way around…
You're the ones getting in our way.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“…Yrena.
You've said more than enough.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Sorry… Mr.Zeng.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“I thought I gave
you your orders.”{NEW}
“Go.
Do not fail to report
back as instructed.”
------------------------------
Rude
“…Leno sends his kind regards.
He's hoping to meet you
as soon as the injuries
you gave him heal up.”{NEW}
“Now you're best friends,
he wants to share his
new weapon with you all.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“Well then…”
------------------------------
Zeng
“…{AERIS}?
Isn't she with you?”
------------------------------
Zeng
“I see…
Then give her my best wishes.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“{AERIS}…
It's been a while.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“Now that Sephiroth's reappeared,
as far as Shin-Ra's concerned,
you're no longer a priority.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“What are you saying?
That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
Zeng
“No…”{NEW}
“But we'll be seeing less of each other,
so take care.”
------------------------------
Zeng
“Well then,gentlemen.
I would very much appreciate it
if you'd stay out of Shin-Ra's way.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“{AERIS} isn't here.
She's with the others.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Wh-who the hell're you!?”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“By any chance,are you…?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Who are you?”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“…
Now that's a face I didn't care to see.”
------------------------------

{CHOICE}“Sir!”{CHOICE}
------------------------------
Yrena
“Mr. Zeng!?”
------------------------------
Zeng
“They don't need to
know our orders.”
------------------------------
Rude/Yrena
“Yes sir!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“…Strange,hearing
that from you.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Ah! That's right!”
------------------------------
Zeng
“…Yrena.
Can you understand the
words that are leaving my lips?”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Ah!{PAUSE 30}
I'm,I'm sorry…”
------------------------------
Zeng
“…Go.
Don't let Sephiroth get away.”
------------------------------
Yrena
“Very well,
Rude and I will go after Sephiroth,
who's heading for {CYAN}Junon Harbour{WHITE}!”
------------------------------


[DLPB_]

Dialogue (completed): 330/553
Dialogue (not completed): 223
Dialogue: 525KB of 1350KB (39%)

One last for now:

Old

Code: [Select]

Inn: 2f
------------------------------
{CLOUD}'s Past
------------------------------
{PAUSE 30}Received "Megalixir"!
------------------------------
Empty…
------------------------------
Can't reach it…
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Damn!!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Oh! You!!”
------------------------------
{CID}
“…Don't mess with me!!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“{CLOUD}, you're late!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo man, you're late!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Guess everyone's here now.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So let's hear your story…”{NEW}
“You know, the one about Sephiroth
and the crisis of the Planet.”{NEW}
“Let's hear it all.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I used to want to be like Sephiroth,
so I joined SOLDIER.”{NEW}
“After working with Sephiroth
on several missions,
we became friends.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“You call that a friend?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Yeah, well…”{NEW}
“He was older than me,
and hardly ever
talked about himself.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“So I guess you'd call us war buddies…
We trusted each other.
Until one day…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“…One day?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“After the war it was SOLDIER's
duty to put down any resistance
against the Shinra.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…That was five years ago.”{NEW}
“I was 16…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Sephiroth's strength is incredible.
He is far stronger in reality
than any stories you
may have heard about him.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“So…
Where do you come in?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Me?
I was mesmerized by the
way Sephiroth fought.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…And then
we reached Nibelheim.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“I remember Jenova.
That's that damn headless spook
livin' in the Shinra building.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“That's right.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“{BARRET},
would you please let us hear what
{CLOUD} has to say?
You can ask questions later.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“{TIFA}, I was only…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“OK {CLOUD}, continue.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“The childhood friends reunite!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I was really surprised
with {TIFA}.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Damn, Shinra!
The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Who would have ever
thought the Mako Reactor
held such a secret.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“{TIFA}…
Were you waiting outside then?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Yes.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“We returned to Nibelheim.
Sephiroth confined himself to the Inn.
He didn't even try to talk to me.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Then all of a sudden he
just disappeared, right?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“We found him inside
the biggest building in Nibelheim.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“The villagers used to call
it the Shinra mansion.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Long ago, people from Shinra
used to live in that mansion…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…and that's the end of my story.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Wait a damn minute!
That's it? No more?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I don't remember.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“What happened to Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“In terms of skill,
I couldn't have killed him.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Official records state Sephiroth is dead.
I read it in the newspaper.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Shinra, Inc. owns the newspapers,
so you can't rely on that.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I want to know the truth.
I want to know what happened.”{NEW}
“I challenged Sephiroth and lived.
Why didn't he kill me?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…I'm alive, too.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“A lot of this doesn't make sense.
What about Jenova?
It was in the Shinra building, right?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Shinra shipped it
from Nibelheim to Midgar.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Did someone carry it out later?
It was missing from the Shinra building.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Damn!
None of this makes sense!”{NEW}
“I'm going,
going,
going,
gone!”{NEW}
“And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo, {CLOUD}!
Let's get a move on!”
{CHOICE}Wait a sec
{CHOICE}Right
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“{CLOUD}, what's wrong?
You just gonna stand there while
Sephiroth heads for the Promised Land?”{NEW}
“I ain't lettin' Sephiroth or
Shinra get to no Promised Land.
If they do,
then we're all screwed.”{NEW}
“Y'know what I'm sayin'?”
{CHOICE}Beautiful, just beautiful!
{CHOICE}Is that all?
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Jus' leave it to me!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Fine!
That's good enough.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo, c'mon let's go!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Oh brother…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“{CLOUD}?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“How bad was I after
Sephiroth stabbed me?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I thought you were a goner.
…I was so sad.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“I…”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“The Ancients…Cetra…Jenova…
Sephiroth and myself…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Let's go.
{BARRET}'s waiting.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“What a fascinating story…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yeah, maybe so.
Wanna take a breather here?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hmph!
Pokin' his damn nose in
where it don't belong.
{CLOUD}!
Why don't you finish that story?”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“(Phew……)”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“(Why you talkin' to me!?)”
{CHOICE}Save game and rest
{CHOICE}Keep talking
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…I get it.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“That would seem to explain the increase
in the number of monsters recently.”{NEW}
“I think we should listen carefully
to {CLOUD}.
Don't you think so {BARRET}?”
------------------------------

New

Code: [Select]

Inn,2F
------------------------------
{CLOUD}'s Past
------------------------------
…{PAUSE 30}Obtained "Last Elixir"!
------------------------------
Empty…
------------------------------
Can't reach it…
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…Oh,come on!!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Oh! You!!”
------------------------------
{CID}
“…Don't mess with me!!”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“{CLOUD},you're late!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo,thanks for bein' on time!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Sorry.
Looks like I kept you all waiting.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“That's everyone.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“So…
your story?”{NEW}
“Sephiroth…
a crisis for the planet.
Let's hear it all.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I wanted to be like Sephiroth,
so I became a Soldier.”{NEW}
“After working with Sephiroth
on several missions,
we became close friends.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“He was your friend?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Well…”{NEW}
“He was older than me,
and hardly ever
talked about himself.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“We were comrades… I guess.
We trusted each other.
Up until then…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“…Until then?”
------------------------------
#h 4
{CLOUD}
“Soldier's duty after the war
was mostly concerned with rebels
who were opposed to Shin-Ra…
A lot of that work was pretty grim.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…It was five years ago.”{NEW}
“I was sixteen…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Sephiroth's strength is unreal.
He is far stronger in reality than any
of the stories you hear about him.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Hm?
So where do you come in?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Me?
I was mesmerised by
the way Sephiroth fought.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…And then we reached Niblheim.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Jenova… I remember!
That damn headless freak
in the Shin-Ra Building!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“That's right.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Hold on,{BARRET}.
Let's hear {CLOUD}'s story first.
You can ask questions later.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“C'mon,{TIFA}…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Okay {CLOUD},carry on.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“The childhood friends reunite!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…{TIFA} really surprised me.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Argh! Shin-Ra! Again!
The more I hear,
the more I hate 'em!”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Who would have thought
that a Mako reactor
could hold such a secret…?”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Hmm,{TIFA}…
Did you wait outside the whole time?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…Yes.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“We returned to Niblheim.
Sephiroth confined himself to the Inn.
He didn't talk with anyone.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“And then he just disappeared.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“We found him inside the
biggest building in Niblheim.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“The villagers called it
the Shin-Ra Mansion.”{NEW}
“It was unoccupied from
before we were born…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Long ago,people from Shin-Ra
did used to live in that mansion…”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…and that's the end of my story.”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Wait a damn minute!
What happened next?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I don't remember.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“What happened to Sephiroth?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“With the kind of power he has,
I hadn't a prayer of defeating him.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Sephiroth has been declared
dead in the public records.
I read it in the newspaper.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“The Shin-Ra Company
prints the newspapers,
so you can't rely on them.”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“…I need to be sure…
about what happened back then.”{NEW}
“I went up against Sephiroth and survived.
Why didn't he kill me?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…I'm alive,too.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“A lot of this doesn't fit.
What about Jenova?
It was in the Shin-Ra Building,right?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Shin-Ra shipped it
from Niblheim to Midgar.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“Did someone come and take it?
It's not in the Shin-Ra building anymore.”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Sephiroth…?
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Aaaaargh!
I don't get any of this!”{NEW}
“I'm going,
going,
gone!!”{NEW}
“And I'm leavin' the
thinkin' to you guys!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Yo,{CLOUD}!
Get things sorted for when we leave!”
{CHOICE}Wait a sec
{CHOICE}Got it
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“{CLOUD},what're you waitin' for?
You just gonna stand there while
Sephiroth heads for the Promised Land?”{NEW}
“I ain't lettin' Sephiroth
or Shin-Ra get there.
If they do,we're all screwed.”{NEW}
“That's what I do know!”
{CHOICE}Beautiful!
{CHOICE}Is that all?
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Jus' leave it to me!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Oh,c'mon!
You don't need no more!”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Let's go!”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“Man…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“…{CLOUD}?”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“How bad was I after
Sephiroth slashed me?”
------------------------------
{CLOUD}
“I thought you were a goner.
…It was awful.”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“I…”
------------------------------
{AERIS}
“The Ancients… the Cetra… Jenova…
Sephiroth… and me…”
------------------------------
{TIFA}
“Let's go.
{BARRET}'s waiting.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“What a fascinating story…”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Y-yeah,I guess so.
Wanna take a breather here?”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“Hmph,keep your nose out of it.
Oi,{CLOUD}…
Carry on with the story.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“(Hmph……)”
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“(Wh-what you askin' me for!?)”
{CHOICE}Save the game and take a break
{CHOICE}Keep talking
------------------------------
{BARRET}
“…Okay.”
------------------------------
{RED XIII}
“Is that the reason for the increase
in monsters over the past few years?”{NEW}
“I think we should listen to {CLOUD}'s
story more carefully from here on.
Isn't that so,{BARRET}?”
------------------------------


[StickySock]

I just wanted to say keep up the good work as this is a project I have been eagerly awaiting for some time now. As awesome as the menu overhaul project is, which it is, I was sad that this project was put on the back burner.

I enjoy reading your translation snippets but this phrase especially caught my attention. I know that grammatical errors are going to be fixed and such, so I don't bother with pointing those out if there are any, and I don't know Japanese so I can't speak for any accuracy.

But...

"With the kind of power he has, I hadn't a prayer of defeating him.”

...sounds slightly unnatural. I just can't help but picture a southern American twang when reading that. Is there anyway it could be like, "With the kind of power he has, I didn't stand a chance of defeating him." or "With the kind of power he has, I hadn't a chance of defeating him." or are they too unfaithful to the original?

Any of the three is fine I guess, maybe I just need to hear someone say that nonchalantly.

Edit: Upon reading my suggestions it looks like I am against the word prayer being used, which I'm not so I guess I should give another example: "With the kind of power he has, I didn't have a prayer of defeating him."

Also, "With the kind of power he has, I didn't have a chance of defeating him." still sounds better. I just don't really like the hadn't/prayer combo.

[DLPB_]

I agree...  'didn't' probably works better (I have changed it), in fact I spent quite a long time with that sentence.  I suppose it also depends on taste.  SOmeone else out there will no doubt say hadn't is best and another that prayer "isn't cloud" or something haha

Also, this project has never been secondary... it has always been priority but I am at the mercy of my translator's time as well.  If he is busy, I cannot work.  Unfortunately most Japanese speakers like to whinge that the original sounds crap and then when you ask them to help with the project they won't.  Of ten that I asked, seven refused point blank, one was completely unreliable, one is busy and has abandoned us and Luksy remains the only one working on this project.

“With the kind of power he possesses,
   I didn't have a prayer of defeating him.”

Final

[StickySock]

I agree...  'didn't' probably works better (I have changed it), in fact I spent quite a long time with that sentence.  I suppose it also depends on taste.  SOmeone else out there will no doubt say hadn't is best and another that prayer "isn't cloud" or something haha

Agreed. That's one of the reasons why I like what you've done with the project, because most of it has sounded natural IMO. And IMO, that's huge for keeping someone's interest in the dialog. There's different tones that can be interpreted in different ways by something as simple as hadn't versus didn't.

Unfortunately most Japanese speakers like to whinge that the original sounds crap and then when you ask them to help with the project they won't.

I find this to be a problem so often when trying to speak to someone with a different native language. There are so many words or phrases that don't have english equivalents, and even when English has words to match the phrases sometimes the tone or feeling of the phrase is lost. I'll ask someone what a phrase I heard means in English, and even when they can speak both fluently it's like they just had an epiphony and realized there are some thoughts that even they have trouble translating.

Also, this project has never been secondary... it has always been priority but I am at the mercy of my translator's time as well. Of ten that I asked, seven refused point blank, one was completely unreliable, one is busy and has abandoned us and Luksy remains the only one working on this project.

Sorry, my bad. Guess I should ease off the work mule. lol

[DLPB_]

There's so many ways that 1 part can be said alone...

"I didn't stand a chance of beating/defeating him."

"I didn't stand a chance against him."

"I didn't have a prayer of defeating him."

"I hadn't a chance against him."

"I had no chance/hope."

"I was no match for him."

"I was out of his league."

"I hadn't a hope in hell."

"I was f*ckin' doomed!"

And on and on and on. Perhaps looking at it, "I didn't stand a chance" is "more cloud".  Hard to really know what cloud would say he is fictional and I am not Kitase. 

I think "Didn't stand a chance against him"  is probably the best.  I do like to mix it up a bit though, esp with the NPC.

[StickySock]

"I didn't stand a chance against him."

Most natural and Cloud sounding IMO while keeping the meaning pretty much the same.